PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a high-tech company specializing in all-electric plasma technologies, announced Thursday it has successfully produced fumed silica at pilot scale. The confirmation comes after independent laboratory testing validated the identity and quality of the material collected during the latest phase of testing at the company’s Fumed Silica Reactor, or FSR.

The project is being developed in partnership with HPQ Silica Polvere Inc., a subsidiary of HPQ Silicon Inc. PyroGenesis was contracted to design and build the FSR, which aims to transform quartz into high-purity fumed silica. The pilot plant has advanced through multiple stages, having already proven its core assumptions at the lab scale. The current phase focuses on scaling up equipment and replicating lab-scale product quality at the pilot level.

Recently, PyroGenesis achieved a key milestone by collecting powder from the pilot plant’s product recovery unit, known as the baghouse. The company submitted this material for independent analysis to determine whether it met the criteria for fumed silica and to assess its purity and yield. The analysis confirmed the powder is indeed fumed silica. It also noted that the impurities detected were anticipated, are in a removable state, and pose no risk to overall product quality. Furthermore, the quantity of material produced exceeded initial projections, indicating strong economic potential for commercial-scale production.

The fumed silica produced by PyroGenesis was compared with commercial-grade products manufactured by industry leaders such as Evonik Corp. The material displayed a comparable microstructure and surface area, typically in the range of 150 to 200 square meters per gram, aligning well with established benchmarks.

Looking ahead, the remainder of the pilot program will concentrate on two primary goals: enhancing product purity by optimizing powder morphology and viscosity, and achieving an annual production target of 50 tonnes. At the same time, PyroGenesis will conduct a series of optimization tests to improve process control, boost silica conversion efficiency, and increase the surface area of the final product. These results will inform the necessary equipment adjustments and system modifications needed for commercial scalability.

“This is an encouraging development that supports our theoretical models,” said P. Peter Pascali, president and CEO of PyroGenesis. “Still, we recognize that success can only be confirmed once every aspect of the process is validated.”

Fumed silica is a vital industrial material used in thousands of everyday products, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, food, construction materials and batteries. PyroGenesis’ work on fumed silica falls under its Commodity Security and Optimization vertical, part of the company’s broader mission to support energy transition, emission reduction and waste remediation across heavy industry.